Cafes, Slot Machine or Waterfalls (A McRoll in the REAL World story)
by sammy1026
Summary: Steve and Catherine discuss where to go on their honeymoon.
_Mary & Ilna-What can I say? You guys are the best of the best. Thanks so much for all the laughs and for listening to me vent. You two are ROCK STARS and I'm loving every minute spent building this universe with you._

 _Sandy-you're the best and always will be. Thanks for sharing the ups and downs._

 _REAL Worlders-You guys are every kind of AWESOME! Thanks so much for your enthusiastic support of the REAL World universe. As always I'm woefully behind on responding to reviews but please know every word is read and appreciated._

 _***********Yahoo was being a little temperamental yesterday so if you didn't get your official wedding invitation via email from the real mcroll account check out our Tumblr page for a copy. mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com.**********************_

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 **Cafes, Slot Machines or Waterfalls (1/1)**

"This is nice," Catherine sighed contentedly as she and Steve sat side by side in their well-worn Adirondack chairs looking at the ocean and enjoying some peace and quiet after a somewhat hectic week. Cammie slept serenely at their feet.

"It sure is," he agreed.

Seconds later his phone buzzed with an incoming text message and he pulled it from his pocket and checked the screen.

"Please tell me that isn't work related," she begged. "I'm too comfortable to get up."

"It's not." He laid the phone on the arm of his chair. "It's just another honeymoon destination suggestion from Danny."

"He was on a roll today," Catherine smiled.

Steve took her hand in his and laced their fingers together.

"He's worried if we don't make a decision about where we want to go soon we won't be able to get reservations."

"It's sweet that he's worried about it."

"He's being a mother hen," Steve huffed good-naturedly.

"He's being a good friend." Catherine squeezed his hand softly. "What's his latest suggestion?"

"Las Vegas. That text was to tell me to check my email. Apparently he sent me links to a couple of hotel websites."

"Do you want to go to Vegas?"

Steve had never expressed an interest in vacationing there before but Catherine wanted to tread carefully. His default position during much of the wedding planning had been 'whatever Catherine wants' but when it came to the honeymoon she wanted to be sure it was something he would truly enjoy. If he wanted to go to Las Vegas she was open to the possibility.

"Not really," Steve rolled his eyes. "But Danny is convinced it's a good honeymoon destination. Why? Do you want to go there?"

"Not especially." Catherine shook her head. "Though it might be funny if we got shirts that said 'I learned to gamble from my grandmas' with Nonna and Grandma Ang's faces on them and sent them a picture of us playing the slots while wearing them."

Steve chuckled. "Nice symmetry there but I'm not sure people would find us quite as adorable as they found Nonna and Grandma Ang in Atlantic City."

"Probably not. But I think we should definitely do that next time we're in New Jersey visiting Nonna."

"Deal," Steve agreed.

Catherine stretched her legs and burrowed her toes into the sand. "Carrie thinks we should honeymoon in Kansas City."

"Kansas City?" Steve couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice. "What made her suggest that?"

"She said she doesn't think we're gonna leave the room for a whole week so we shouldn't waste money going somewhere touristy and expensive. She says Kansas City has good food and some very nice hotels and that's all we'll need."

"Well … I do know how much you enjoy barbecue," Steve teased.

"That I do," Catherine replied saucily.

"Still I'm not sure Kansas City is at the top of my list."

"Mine either. Not for our honeymoon. But someday … " Catherine waggled her eyebrows. "For the barbecue."

Her phone buzzed with an incoming message. She retrieved it from the towel on the ground beside her chair and burst out laughing as she read.

"What's so funny?" Steve asked.

"It's a text from Gracie."

She turned the phone towards him so he could read it himself.

" 'Don't listen to Danno. You should go to Paris. It's the most romantic city in the world. It would be perfect for your honeymoon' ," Steve read with a smile.

"I'm gonna tell her thanks for the suggestion and we'll put it on the list," Catherine smiled as she began to type a response.

"Is Paris somewhere you'd like to go?" Steve asked.

Catherine shrugged. "Maybe."

"We certainly had fun that time we met there for a two-day liberty," he smirked.

"We did," she grinned. "But as I recall we didn't see much of the city."

"And we barely ate anything either," he nodded. "So it definitely might be worth another visit."

"If we go there Gracie is going to expect lots of pictures of cafes, and architecture and the French countryside," Catherine pointed out. "Which would mean we'd actually have to get out of the hotel room this time."

"That's something of a drawback."

Catherine nodded in agreement.

"I haven't asked her about it but I bet Grandma Ang would put in a vote for Niagara Falls."

Steve chuckled. "She told me the senior center is planning a bus trip there. Not only do they have a casino but apparently they have bingo halls as well."

"Grandma Ang's idea of paradise," Catherine smiled fondly. "I'll bet Nonna would be thrilled if we went to Italy."

"And we'd come home ten pounds heavier each," Steve grimaced.

"True."

"But if you want to go to Italy then let's do it. I'm sure it'll be great," he said sincerely.

Catherine grew serious. "Steve, I want to make sure wherever we pick for a honeymoon it's somewhere we both really want to go. This decision is not a 'whatever Catherine wants' thing. I want us both to want it. Understood?"

She leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

"Understood," he said softly as he pulled her in for another kiss.

"Jacob thinks we should go to Universal Studios," he reported when they finally came up for air, "Because they have a minions ride. He showed me the brochure last night when I stopped by to help Jenna and Cody move the furniture."

Catherine bark laughed. "That boy loves his minions."

"He certainly does. He said I should definitely take Aunt Catherine there on our next vacation because he knew you'd think it was the best vacation ever."

Catherine's eyes twinkled. "That would be a big challenge. We've had some good ones."

"We certainly have," Steve grinned wolfishly.

"Kono said the place she and Adam stayed in Puerto Rico was amazing," Catherine suggested.

"I saw the pictures," Steve nodded. "It was beautiful. So you want to go somewhere warm?"

"I'm not sure. Would you rather go somewhere with snow? We could get some more use out of the things we bought to wear in New Jersey."

Steve's head was spinning with all the possible destinations. "All I know is that as long as you're by my side I'll be perfectly happy wherever we go."

"Even Amish Country?" Catherine challenged.

"Is that … do people … seriously, is that a thing?"

"Apparently," Catherine nodded. "Mom told me she and Dad are considering a week there in the summer."

Steve grinned. "At least we wouldn't have to worry about being interrupted by any phone calls."

"That's a definite plus."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts before Catherine spoke again.

"I'm serious, Steve. I want wherever we go to be someplace you're excited about. Not just someplace you think I want to go."

"And I'm serious," he said with total sincerity, "As long as you're there I don't care where we end up."

Catherine leaned in and kissed him. "I appreciate that but … wait … I have an idea," she said excitedly.

"What?"

She handed him his phone as she picked up her own. "I want you to write me a text with the place you most want to go. Not where you think I want to go but where you would go if it was completely up to you. I'll do the same and then when I say go we'll send the texts."

"What if we don't type the same place?"

"At least we'll have an idea of what we're each really thinking and we can find a compromise," Catherine said enthusiastically.

"Ok," Steve agreed.

"Now remember, this is the place you would most want to go if the decision was up to you alone."

Steve thought for a moment then quickly typed his answer before glancing at Catherine and seeing her smile softly as she typed.

"I'm ready," he said, confident of his decision.

"Me too," she smiled. "Hit send."

A second later they both beamed as they opened the texts and saw that, as always, they were completely in sync and on the same page.

"Looks like we have a honeymoon destination," she said excitedly.

"Looks like it," Steve grinned as he tugged her arm and resettled her in his lap. "Let's celebrate."

 **THE END**

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